Overview

Nameservers match domain names to IP addresses. When a visitor attempts to find a website that your server hosts, their computer asks a nameserver for the IP address of the domain that they wish to view. The nameserver returns the IP address for your web server and directs the visitor to the correct page. You must publish records for your domain names to nameservers so that visitors can reach those sites. These nameservers communicate with other nameservers to distribute the records of sites that your server hosts. The propagation period is the amount of time that it takes for a domain's DNS records to spread across the Internet.

This document explains the methods that you can use to update your nameservers and how your choices affect your server.

In all currently-supported cPanel & WHM versions, you can use a series of WHM interfaces to configure and update your nameservers.

In cPanel & WHM version 74 and earlier, when you log in to WHM for the first time, the Initial Setup Assistant interface appears. The Nameserverssection of this interface (Step 4) allows you to set up nameservers. We removed the Initial Setup Assistant interface in cPanel & WHM version 76.

Select a nameserver software.

We deprecated the MyDNS and NSD nameserver software in cPanel & WHM version 78 and plan to remove them a future release. We strongly recommend that you migrate to PowerDNS. For more information, read our cPanel Deprecation Plan.

Notes:

For most servers, we recommend that you select BIND.

MyDNS does not support Certificate Authority Authorization (CAA) records, which certificate authorities use to determine if they can issue certificates for a domain.

MyDNS requires that you add external nameserver IP addresses to the resolv.conf file.

If you already use your registrar's DNS services, you can skip this step.

Create A or AAAA entries for your nameservers.

Next to the appropriate Nameservers text box, click Configure Address Records. A new window will appear.

The system will perform a DNS lookup on the nameserver that you entered.

To enter a different IPv4 address, enter a new value in the Enter an IPv4 address to create an A record text box or Confirm the IPv4 address to create an A record text box.

To enter a different IPv6 address, enter a new value in the Enter an IPv6 address to create an AAAA record (optional) text box.

Click Configure Address Records.

The system will display the results of your changes. Click Close.

Repeat these steps for each nameserver that you entered.

Create A entries for your hostname.

Navigate to WHM's Add an A Entry for Your Hostname interface (WHM >> Home >> DNS Functions >> Add an A Entry for Your Hostname). Enter your server's IP address in the available text box and click Add Entry.

Set up nameservers with your registrar.

After you configure your server's nameservers, you must register your nameservers with your registrar. When you register nameservers, you announce their existence to the rest of the internet. You do not perform this action in cPanel & WHM, but you must do it or your nameservers will not function.

Click the links to the right for registrar instructions for some of the most popular domain registrars. Each set of instructions assumes that the following statements are true:

You have an account with the registrar.

You have already registered your domain with that company.

You have logged in to your account and are on the first screen that you see after you log in.

Select a nameserver software.

We deprecated the MyDNS and NSD nameserver software in cPanel & WHM version 78 and plan to remove them in a future release. We strongly recommend that you migrate to PowerDNS. For more information, read our cPanel Deprecation Plan.

MyDNS does not support Certificate Authority Authorization (CAA) records, which certificate authorities use to determine if they can issue certificates for a domain.

MyDNS requires that you add external nameserver IP addresses to the resolv.conf file.

NSD

Disabled

Note:

If you already use your registrar's DNS services, you can skip this step.

Name your nameservers.

Enter the desired name for each of your nameservers. We recommend that you use the following guidelines when you name nameservers:

The name must consist of a prefix, a dot (.), and your domain name. The common convention for nameservers is to prefix your domain name with ns1 (for example, ns1.example.com and ns2.example.com).

Your nameservers cannot share a name.

We strongly recommend that you use a domain that reflects your company's main homepage URL.

Create A entries and add IP addresses.

Select the desired options for your server's A entries and IP addresses.

We strongly recommend that you select both the Add "A Entries" for all Nameservers and Add "A Entries" for Hostname checkboxes.

If you do not enter IP addresses in the Please enter an IP address for each of your nameservers text boxes, the system automatically assigns available IP addresses from your server to each nameserver.

Set up nameservers with your registrar.

After you configure your server's nameservers, you must register your nameservers with your registrar. When you register nameservers, you announce their existence to the rest of the internet. You do not perform this action in cPanel & WHM, but you must do it or your nameservers will not function.

Click the links to the right for registrar instructions for some of the most popular domain registrars. Each set of instructions assumes that the following statements are true:

You have an account with the registrar.

You have already registered your domain with that company.

You have logged in to your account and are on the first screen that you see after you log in.

Manage reseller nameservers.

After you configure your nameservers, you may wish to configure special nameservers for your server's resellers. We design cPanel & WHM to accommodate a white-label reseller experience, which allows customizable branding. You can configure hosting resellers to each use their own nameservers.

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